Trinitrotoluene mixture for explosives.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIUI JALMAR e. nn'rnunsr, or 'xmosron, NEW YORK.

-'I BINITROTOLUE1\TE MIXTURE FOR EXPLOSIVES Specification of Letters Patent. No Drawing. Original application filed December '7, 1909, Serial No. 531,901: Divided and this application Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

filed February 8, 1910. Serial No. 542,812.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JALMAR G. NATHURST, a citizen of the United States, residing at .Kin ston, in the county of Ulster and State of ew York, have invented certain new and scribed and clalmed in my application Number 531,901, filed December 7, 1909, of which this is a division; and'it has for its object to produce a product of'this nature which will be highly endothermic when beingv made, and also one that when mixed with a high explosive, on detonation will give oil little or no noxious fumes; all as will be A more fully disclosed. hereinafter and parator and adds ticularly pointed out in the claims. Y

It is well known that compounds of the natures of mononitrobenzole and of the solid and liquid nitrotoluenes have been used with nitroglycerin in order to lower the freezing point of the latter;v but these compounds are poisonous, the li uid ones are volatile, they oxidize with di culty, and they produce noxious fumes in detonatiomall of which qualities render them more or less unsuitable for extended practical use. I have discovered, however, that by treating liquid dinitrotoluene of commerce with a suitable mixture such for example, as a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids, a compound isobtained which, when mixed with nitroglycerin and a suitabledeterrent or dope to be described below, produces a high explosive having a low freezing point as Well as other desirable qualities to be described, and which on detonation does not produce noxious fumes to any appreciable extent. This compound .is also highly endot-hermic and, therefore, acts as an accelerto the strength ofthe explosive. i

The compound is'preferably produced as follows :To 100 parts of an acid mixture consisting ofaboht 3 per cent. water, 36 per cent..concentrated nitric acid (HNOQ and about 61 per cent. of concentrated sulfuric acid (H 80 I add, while constantly stirthus recovered.

ring the same, about 90 parts of commercial liquid dinitrotoluene or liquid trinitrotoluene not allowing the temperature to rise above 90 F. The whole may then be run into a large quantity of cold water, where'- upon the product formed will sink to the bottom, and may be drawn oil and washed until entirelyfree of acid. The product, however, could be left in'the acid mixture until it separates out and the spent acids This nitrated product is non-volatile, and does not give oifnoxious or poisonous gases and is easily oxidized when mixed with nitroglycerin and the latter is detonated.

The washing is preferably done in first cold and then hot water'at preferably about 80 C. and finally in afive -per cent. solution of ammonia. The finished com ound vis a liquid below 50 'F., is of a bric red color having as ecific gravity of about 1.5 at R, an is an isomer of trinitrotolucne mixed with a small quantity of dinitrotoluene as an impurity. The amount of dinitrotoluene which exists in this compound varies, and it sometimes may amount to 10 or 15 per cent. or even higher.

Liquid nitrotoluenes which are used with nitroglycerin in explosives, in order to lower the freezing point of the latter, have the disadvantage of being volatile, as above stated, and also have a smell of bitter al-. monds which is even noticeable in the fumes from the detonationof the explosive containing the same, This goes to show that these nitrotoluene substances are incompletely oxidized on detonation. I have found that by treating liquid dinitrotoluene in the manner above described, that a product is obtained which has no smell and which The restraining agent or dope above mentioned which is to be also mixed with the above nitrated compound consists ofsulfur, nitrate of sodium, wood or other pulp, and antacid consisting of a carbonate of sodium, for example, or a suitable alkali, in substantially the proportions below mentioned.

The following is given as a specific example of the use of my new compound in high explosives,supposing it is desired to obtain the same disruptive strength as the ordinary 40 per cent. nitroglycerin dynamite, and one that will not freeze at say- 28 0,; even when exposed for a long time.

I take of nitroglycerin 28 per cent, nitrocellulosel per cent.-, the above nitrated compound& er cent, and to this mixture I add .a -deterrent consisting of sulfur 2 percent, of nitrate of sodium 63 per cent, of wood or other pulp 1% per cent; and of antacid or alkali per cent.- I i The gelatin explosive thus produced is characterized by the following pr eperties It does not readily freeze above--28 0., it does not give off any appreciable amount of noxious fumes or gases when detonated, it does not creep or exude from the package to any appreciable extent while shipping, it is substantially non-volatile, its dan er of exploding on thawin is greatly re need, and it is less'suscepti le to concussion and shock than'otheriexplosives of like nature.- It requires a higher temperature to ignite,

and it can be fused with safety at low temperatures and in confined spaces, such as mines.-

The proportions above given are those I I I prefer to use but, of course, they may bevaried within wide limits without compound or explosive.

pletely' destroying the utility of my comgen to completely oxidize'one part of my nitrotoluene compound and in practice I have found that a mixture of equal parts of In fact parts of nitroglycerin have suflicient available 0xy-' thesetwo constituents will detonatewhen a substantially as described.

2. The herein described compound comprising an isomer of trinitrotoluene, having a brick red color, a specific gravity of 1.50 at'60 F., melting below 50 F., and being non-volatile and substantially odorless, substantially as described. a

3. The herein described product consisting of an isomer of 'tri-nitrotoluene mixed with dinitrotoluene, having a brick red color, a specific gravity of about 1.50 at 60 F. and being a liquid below 50 F., nonvolatile and substantially odorless, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix" my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

J ALMAR G. NA'II-IURST, Witnesses WM. GonxBURN, Louis B. SAU'IER.

high explosives which consists 

